Because of the Ukraine war: Finland angry with Germany – now members of the Bundestag are reacting

Created: 2022-11-23 07:31

By: Fabian Hartmann

FPD foreign politician Ulrich Lechte © Felix Zahn/Imago

The Ukraine war puts a strain on German-Finnish relations.

In Helsinki there is frustration about Berlin.

German MPs can understand that.

Is it time for an apology?

Berlin – The War in Europe.

Since February 24, Russian troops have been trying to subdue Ukraine in a merciless war of aggression - a scenario that from a German perspective seemed unlikely for a long time.

Mind you: from a German point of view.

There are countries in Europe that have long warned against Moscow's imperialism.

Finland is one of them.

In Helsinki, nobody understood how Germany could make itself so dependent on Russia, especially when it comes to energy policy, keyword Nord Stream 2.

And ignored the threat from the east.

Finland's view of the neighboring country and its ruler Vladimir Putin is sober, even cool: "We have to wake up and realize that these guys never say what they mean and they never mean what they say.

This is the basic rule to understand Russia, which Germany completely misunderstood,” Finnish MEP Petri Sarvamaa (EPP) recently

told

.

FDP expert: German Russia policy “failed with a bang”

The Finnish accusation against Germany: The mistakes in energy and security policy, especially from the Merkel era, are now clearly coming to light - with serious consequences for all of Europe.

There are harsh tones that are clearly heard in Berlin.

And for whom there is understanding.

The FDP external expert Ulrich Lechte speaks openly of "naivety".

“For a long time we have believed in the concept of change through trade when it comes to Russia.

This failed with a bang on February 24,” Lechte told the

.

Finland's frustration with Germany isn't just about a 1,000-kilometer border that connects the country to Russia -- and that makes the threat omnipresent.

Finland also knows from its own painful experience what it's like to be invaded by Russia.

In the winter war of 1939/1940, the Red Army invaded the neighboring country.

Supposedly because of safety concerns.

It is the same reasoning that Russia uses today to justify the war in Ukraine.

In Finland, politics has always been security policy.

Different than in Germany.

The state of the Bundeswehr is desolate, the "turning point" proclaimed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has so far mainly been an announcement.

The countries in northern Europe feel abandoned.

Is it time that Germany apologized for being naïve?

Finnish frustration with Germany: CDU foreign expert speaks of "misjudgments"

"No," says FDP man Lechte.

"Germany is a reliable partner in Europe and an important contact for Russia's neighboring countries." But what is true is that the Federal Republic should have "listened more carefully and acted more decisively from the start".

It sounds similar with the Union, which last ruled for 16 years.

There have been "misjudgments" in Russia policy, said CDU foreign affairs expert Jürgen Hardt to our editorial team.

“Germany’s politics and society must learn from this.

We must never again make ourselves so dependent on a partner outside of NATO,” said the member of the Bundestag.

About IPPEN.MEDIA

The IPPEN.MEDIA network is one of the largest online publishers in Germany.

At the locations in Berlin, Hamburg/Bremen, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Stuttgart and Vienna, journalists from our central editorial office research and publish for more than 50 news offers.

These include brands such as Münchner Merkur, Frankfurter Rundschau and BuzzFeed Germany.

Our news, interviews, analyzes and comments reach more than 5 million people in Germany every day.

All the same, leading German politicians welcome the rapid acceptance of Sweden and Finland into the defense alliance.

These are words that people in northern Europe are sure to like to hear – even if they don't make us forget the mistakes of the past.